


I Never Want To Get Married

by urdearestmom



Series: A is for Alphabet Universe [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Mike Wheeler is the Best Dad™, some shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 16:46:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14815119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urdearestmom/pseuds/urdearestmom
Summary: a very good night.





	I Never Want To Get Married

**Author's Note:**

> shameless fluff because i literally can't seem to make myself write anything else. hope you guys enjoy and comments feed my soul! :D

After putting the last washed plate in the other sink to dry, Mike wipes his hands on his pants and walks to the living room to check on his kids. Vienna is sleeping soundly on the couch, leaning heavily against her brother (who is also sleeping). It’s nine thirty on a Friday night, and the TV is showing a Looney Tunes episode. The five-year-old had conked out around eight, Henry following not long after, leaving their father to clear the kitchen by himself. It’s a regular night in the Wheeler household other than the fact that El’s not home, but she’ll be back Sunday afternoon. She’s taken the weekend off with some of her coworkers for some much needed “girl time”, as they call it. 

Mike observes his children, a dishtowel hanging from his shoulder, the glow of the TV screen softening their small faces. He notes that Vienna has a line of snot running from her nose, and that brother and sister are much closer than he usually finds them awake. Being siblings with a five year age gap leads them to have a lot more fights than he expected, but that’s only because he’s forgotten how he was with Nancy when they were younger. Walking over, he scoops his daughter up into his arms and Henry slumps over, the sagging weight of his sister no longer holding him up.

He snorts awake. “Dad?” 

“Time for bed, buddy,” Mike whispers, reaching for the remote to turn off the unfortunate mishaps of Wile E. Coyote. 

Henry yawns and gets up, walking in the direction of the bathroom while scratching his head. “I’m just- gonna brush my teef.”

Mike shakes his head as the boy stumbles down the hall, following him but only stopping in Vienna’s room. He thought she was completely out, but as he lays her down and pulls the covers over her, she stirs and says, “Daddy?” 

Mike smiles and his heart melts into a puddle of goo like it does every time his daughter calls him that. “Yeah, sweetpea?” 

She wrinkles her nose. “I don’t like peas.” 

“It’s just an expression, Vi,” he chuckles. “You really are your mother’s daughter.” 

Vienna turns to face her father where he crouches next to her bed, trying his damned hardest to get himself eye-level with her (needless to say, he fails; he’s too tall). “Mommy said she married you because she loves you.” 

His smile widens further. “Well, I really hope that’s why she married me. It’s why I married her,” he responds. 

Vienna yawns and curls up under her comforter. “Can I marry you too, Daddy?” 

Mike is taken aback for a second but composes himself quickly. “Why would you want to do that?” 

She cracks an eye open to glare at him, managing as well as any other half-asleep five-year-old could. It ends up just being cute. “Because I love you!”

Her father starts to laugh a little, but his heart is threatening to ooze right out of his chest. He feels like he might just explode from how cute she is. 

“That’s not how it works, Vi,” interrupts Henry from the doorway. “You can’t marry your dad.” 

Vienna sticks her tongue out at her brother. “You say that because you don’t love Daddy as much as me.” 

Henry scowls. “Of course I do! I just know you can’t marry your dad.” 

Said dad rolls his eyes. “I cannot believe you two are actually fighting over who loves me more. Go to bed, bud, I’ll be there in a sec,” says Mike, looking towards his son. When he’s gone, Mike turns back to Vienna. “Your brother’s right, you can’t marry your dad.” 

Vienna pouts. “That’s stupid.” 

“Hey,” Mike warns. “Don’t use that word.” 

“Sorry, Daddy.” 

It’s silent for a moment as he thinks of what else to say when Vienna speaks again. “Then I never want to get married.” 

“Why not?” Her father asks, furrowing his brows. 

She looks at him as though he’s stupid for not understanding right away. “Because I’ll never, ever, _ever_ love anyone as much as I love you. I’m going to stay with you forever, Daddy. Even when I’m a grown-up.” 

At this moment, Mike thinks he’s never felt so close to imploding, and his smile threatens to break his face. “Well, you can stay as long as you want. I’m never going to love anyone as much as I love you or your brother either.”

“What about Mommy?” 

“I love Mommy in a different way, sweetie, but just as much.” He stands up, placing his hands on his knees to keep his balance as he leans forward to place a kiss on Vienna’s forehead. “Good night, princess.” 

Vienna yawns again. “Good night, Daddy.” 

Henry’s already asleep when Mike knocks on his half-open door, so he just closes it the whole way with a whispered, “Good night, buddy.” 

It’s still not even ten when Mike retires to his own room, so he decides to leave the light on and try to talk to El for a bit. 

_El._

_El._

_Ellieeeeeeee!_

_ELLIE MY BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL WIFE!_

He feels her mental presence brush across his mind like a sigh of exasperation. 

**_Hi Mike. I was wondering when you’d talk._ **

_How’s your day been, the girls treating you good?_

**_Not as good as you do, but I don’t think anyone compares._ **

Subconsciously, he smiles. _Hmm, that’s nice to hear. The kids argued over who loves me more and Vi told me she never wants to get married._

**_Why’s that?_** El sounds sort of surprised but not really, considering the things their five-year-old has said on previous occasions. 

_She said she wanted to marry me but since that’s not allowed she’s just not going for it at all. Said she’s gonna stay with me forever._

At that, Mike feels a wave of warmth he knows is coming from El as she registers exactly how cute all of it was. **_I can’t believe I missed that!_**

_Looks like you have some competition, wifey._

**_Mmm, I don’t think so._ **

_You’re right._

**_You love me too much for that._ **

(Roughly ten years later, Mike almost cries when Vienna introduces her first girlfriend to the family. He’s happy that his daughter has found someone she likes enough to be with and who clearly likes her back, but he’s also kind of upset that it seems she’s forgotten all about staying with him forever. So much for never getting married.)


End file.
